Cold Case2003 | TV Show

A nail-biter from Jerry Bruckheimer revolves around Philadelphia homicide detective Lilly Rush, whose investigation of long-unsolved crimes is driven by the belief that 'people shouldn't be forgotten.'

The 1997 murder of a 16-year-old girl is investigated after an anonymous confession is discovered in a modern-art exhibit. The probe leads the detectives into the cutthroat world of high-school cheerleading.

The 1999 murder of a homeless woman, whose body is found at the bottom of a river in a station wagon, is investigated. The probe reveals the car wasn't just a vehicle to the woman and her family, it was their home.

The 1984 murder of a teenager is investigated after his body is found in a Dumpster. The probe reveals the boy dreamed of becoming a dancer and auditioning for a performing-arts school, but his blue-collar father was vehemently against it.

Lilly investigates the 1964 murder of a 17-year-old girl who was sent by her parents to a home for unwed mothers, where she gave birth to a girl. The next day the teen was killed. The case is reopened when the victim's daughter comes forward, having just learned that she was adopted and that her biological mother was slain. The probe reveals the girl died in a field near the home after being hit on the head with a blunt object.

Lilly investigates the deaths of a married couple who perished in 1981 when a supposedly accidental gas-leak explosion set their house on fire. The case is reopened when fragments of a bomb are discovered at the house during renovations. The investigation reveals the victims were involved in violent antiwar activities during the Vietnam War. Back at headquarters, Stillman takes care of his 4-year-old grandson.

Two teens, one a preppy 13-year-old Chestnut Hill girl, the other a 15-year-old North Philadelphia boy who is a drug dealer, are both shot to death on the same January day in 2002 at 8:03 A.M., outside of different schools. The cold cases haunt Miller because it's the fifth anniversary of the shootings and she was the one who found the dying boy. She believes the cases are connected, but Lilly doubts that they are related.

Lilly investigates the 1996 murder of a wealthy divorced woman who was found dead in her ex-husband's indoor swimming pool. The original investigation ruled the death accidental, but new evidence suggests it was a homicide. It's also learned that the victim died during a citywide blackout and that she was terrified of the dark. In addition, the victim was a bitter woman and hated by most of her family members.

Lilly investigates the murder of a 17-year-old prep-school student who disappeared in early 2006 and whose body is found stuffed in an oil drum outside an abandoned warehouse in a drug-infested part of the city. The investigation reveals the victim was involved in a fight club with some other students from his school. Also, Vera pays a parking ticket for his neighbor and later asks her out on a date.

Lilly and Valens travel to Nashville and Knoxville to investigate the 2000 murder of a country-music singer who was gunned down outside of a Philadelphia bar where he and his band had recently played. The unsolved case is reopened when the gun used in the homicide turns up. The investigation reveals there was tension between the three band members and also between the victim and his estranged wife who lives in Tennessee.

The unsolved 1968 murder of a policeman is reinvestigated when a dying inmate claims he took a brick of heroin from the slain officer's patrol car shortly after the victim was gunned down in the same vehicle. The probe reveals the cop put the heat on a neighborhood drug dealer who had other officers on his payroll. The victim also had a reputation as a womanizer.

A homely 33-year-old woman is gunned down in an alley in 1989 and her unsolved murder is reinvestigated when a tape of the victim, made for a dating service, turns up in a suicide victim's apartment. Apparently, it was what the man was watching when he killed himself. The probe reveals the man was a con artist who dated lonely women in order to rob them of their life savings. Also, Vera moves into an apartment of his own.

The 1975 disappearance of an 8-year-old girl who was never found is reinvestigated after a note written by the girl shortly before she vanished turns up. The probe reveals the white victim was best friends with a black girl who had recently moved into the neighborhood. Their friendship rattled many in the predominantly white neighborhood and the girls quickly became targets of hatred.

The 1979 murder of a schoolteacher who was stabbed to death in a wooded area is reopened when the victim's bloodstained jacket is found stuffed in a tree trunk with a happy-face key chain in a pocket. The case was originally investigated by Jeffries when he was a rookie detective. The probe reveals the victim died two months after attending a key party she left with a neighbor, a man with whom she had an affair.

The apparent 1958 suicide of a popular rock-and-roll DJ is reinvestigated after a documentary filmmaker discovers a tape recording made at the time of the victim's death by gunshot at his radio station. The probe reveals the victim had enemies, from angry parents who didn't approve of the music he played to record-company hucksters trying to bribe him to play records. Also, Valens tries to get his brother to testify against a suspected pedophile.

The parents of an autistic boy are gunned down in their car while on their way to get takeout. The 2003 case is reopened when Joseph informs Lilly that the boy, now in a state institution, blurts out a specific number whenever the parents are mentioned. It's soon learned the boy was in the car when the murders occurred, but he's unable to identify the killer. In a more personal matter, Ray tells Lilly he's leaving for California and wants her to come with him.

A 6-month-old girl's 1982 death, originally ruled to be a result of sudden-infant-death syndrome, is investigated when new evidence reveals the baby may have drowned. The probe reveals the girl's parents divorced shortly after her death and that the father didn't want to have another baby. Also, Lilly learns that Ray is in the hospital after apparently being beaten.

The 1948 death of a miner is investigated after transit workers find his body in a service tunnel five stories below a river while expanding the subway system. The probe reveals that the man was a union leader who may have butted heads with management in a labor dispute. The deceased was also a married white man in love with a widowed black woman. Also, Lilly feels uncomfortable when Joseph tells her that he loves her.

A 2004 case in which an Iraq War veteran abruptly disappeared is reopened after the missing woman's prosthetic arm is found in the Delaware River. The probe reveals that the victim lost her arm during an attack in Iraq and felt responsible for the death of a friend killed in the ambush. The woman's husband becomes a leading suspect, but he claims he loved his wife, even though she came back from the war a much changed person.

Lilly investigates a 1995 shooting spree at a mall in which two teen boys killed 15 people before committing suicide. The case is reopened when a video of the crimes is found and it suggests that a third shooter was involved. Elsewhere, Stillman asks Valens to investigate whether Valens' brother may have been molested by a boxing coach in the 1980s.